Accessibility-Specific Topics in STEM

This page has articles and links to topics specific to accessibility of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Computer Applications for Converting STEM Documents to Braille and Other Formats

Introduction to the Infty Reader Math OCR Application, by Masakazu Suzuki, Katsuhito Yamaguchi, and John Gardner.
"Embossing Math" using MS Word, MathType, TSS by John Gardner.
"Embossing Tables" using MS Word, Excel, TSS by John Gardner.
Duxbury Braille Translator by the staff of Duxbury.
Prof. Dominick Archambault has written a very thorough web article on braille math codes available at: http://chezdom.net/blog/?page_id=51 but that has some syntax errors that prevent it from opening properly in some web browsers. He advises us that he intends to repair that article, but in the meantime to reload it after it opens. Alternatively there is a corrected copy of that article on this site.

More Accessible Math preprint.htm, a paper by John Gardner and Courtney Christensen on their new LEAN (Linear Editing and Authoring Notation) format
LEANMath.zip, A zip file with everything needed to test the LEAN Math notation. The LEAN Math MS Word application is being debugged and will be introduced when a stable beta copy is available.
"Accessible Math Authoring Applications" by John Gardner
"Authoring/Reading Web Math" by John Gardner
"Authoring Math" using MS Word, MathType by John Gardner

Accessing Graphical Information with IVEO SVG by John Gardner, shows how nearly any graphical information can be made excellently accessible with the ViewPlus IVEO technology.
Analyzing Scalable Vector Graphics Images is a detailed article by contributor Pranav Lal on understanding SVG code. He uses several tools including the IVEO SVG authoring/reading system and VOICe, the graphics audio tone display method.
Prof. Richard Baldwin has added a section If You Can Imagine It, You Can Draw It using SVG to his blind-accessible web physics textbook. "The study of physics is replete with requirements to create and analyze technical drawings. This is obviously more difficult for blind students than for sighted students. However, blind students can draw technical diagrams and the purpose of this module is to show you how. If you can imagine it, you can draw it using SVG".

The University of Washington DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) program has a wealth of resources and links on topics of interest to students with disabilities. DO-IT is the host for the National Science Foundation-sponsored AccessSTEM Alliance for Students with Disabilities in STEM that has a list of resources specific to STEM education and careers.
DO-IT Director Sheryl Burgstahler contributed articles to the journal Information Technology and Disabilities in 1996-97 on TEACHING LAB COURSES TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES and PEER SUPPORT: WHAT ROLE CAN THE INTERNET PLAY? that are as valid today as they were 15 years ago.
Ms. Burgstahler has recently written an article Universal Design: Implications for Computing Education on implications of universal design on education in computer science and engineering.
The Canadian National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) has recently published a group of articles on "Studying and Pursuing a Science or Technology Career as a Post-Secondary Student with a Disability" and an accompanying List of Resources.
The BlindHow.com web site has a number of user-written articles on technology, some of which are relevant to STEM. In particular, there are several beginner/intermediate-level articles on MS Office software including several on Excel.